The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1887-03-10
New Bessemer Ore Field
The Pittsburg Commercial Gazette of
the 1st.. publishes the following

The Pittsburg Commercial Gazette of
the lst., publishes the following
A new Bessemer ore field has been dis.
covered and it bids fair to rival the Lake
regions. AT present the Bessemer ore
Which comes into this city costs about SIS
per ton. From the new regions it Gao be
paced IN the Pittsburg market for about
~ per ton. The property is situated on
the line OF the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad
In West Virginia, about eight miles north
of White Sulphur Springs.
This land has been brought to the atten-
ton OF the Carnegies during the present
week. This firm has the option on the
land, and will send their mining engineers
down there within few days to examine
into the claims made for the PROPERTY
The owners say that careful assays of the
ore show 62a per cent of metallic iron.-
This is from to per cent. lower than
the Bessemer ore from the lake region, but
is sufficiently pure for all needful purposes
From what can be learned it is more than
probable the Carnegies will either purchase
or lease the property.
The gentleman who was here engineer
ing the transactions is one of the widest
known furnace men of Virginia. He has
been superintendent of one of the largest
plants in the New River country in West
Virginia, and is thoroughly acquainted
with the ground. The rumor of such a
transaction has created considerable ex-
cltement among the manufactures of the
city.
We are reliably informed that the facts
stated in the above extract are correct
This immense ore field has been long
known and it has only been question of
time when its splendid advantages would
be availed of. Those familiar with the
tract declare it to be the most extraordina-
ry deposit in the South if not on the CONT
nent. 1t adjoins the Anthony Creek lands,
through which for twelve or fourteen miles
extends the iron vein. Tile ores are brown
hematite, the fossil and block ores, and
the measures at Longdale and Lowmoor
are repeated. The outcrop of the brown
hematite at different points is enormous.
and the vein is of unknown thickness,
probably ranging from twelve to one hun
dred feet. The block vein is about seven
feet thick and the fossil about forty inch
es. These latter are said to appear larger
on the Anthony Creek property than any,
where else in the Allegheny iron field
The land lies IL miles from the White Sui
phur Springs, but it has so natural rail-
road outlet as to be really nearer. 1t is
estimated that the cost of grading rail-
road from the White Sulphur would
scarcely exceed $500 per mile The ore
lies along AnthOny's creek, in the noun
tains bordering it, and the road could be
extended so as to place the ore veins in
reach OF the road throughout it's length.
making the property divisible into mum
Der Of mining sections. Along this range
ore sufficient could be furnished to run a
lumber Of full naces for ages. Indeed 1t
would be impossible to estimate the guam
tity that could be secured. Added to this
is the fact that the splendid coking Goals
of the New River district are within
twenty miles, and that the best of lime.
stone lies alongside the iron.
There is no known section of the Union |
that offers advantages comparable for the
cheap manufacture of iron of the best
quality. The ore itself is superior to that
of the now famous Birmingham section,
whilst the coal in close proximity is recog-
nized as among the best, if not the best,
on the continent for coking purposes.
We look forward with confidence to the |
early development Of this inviting field